Filing drawings



0. A. BECKER FILING DRAWINGS Get. 9, 1956 Filed Dec. 24, 1952 INVENTOP 0;20 Alfred Becker A TTORNE Y United States Patent FILING DRAWINGS Otto Alfred Becker, Saarbrucken, Germany Application December 24, 1952, Serial No. 327,820

2 Claims. (Cl. 129-165) This invention relates to a system for filing drawings which allows of any one drawing being selected and withdrawn without disturbing others.

The complete system includes a cabinet in which are file-carrying bars, preferably forming part of a file-carrying frame slidable backward and forward on guide rails in the cabinet, and filing attachments for drawings which ride upon the file-carrying bars and include drawing clamps to receive and hold the edge of a drawing. The present invention is more particularly concerned with improved constructions of filing attachments and drawing clamps.

A principal object of the invention is a suspension file for drawings comprising file-carrying bars and filing attachments each including a stiff strip extending the length of a drawing, adapted for suspension from the file-carrying bars and equipped with a plurality of independently releasable spring clamping means distributed along its length.

A more specific object of the invention is a suspension file for drawings of this kind wherein each spring clamping means comprises a resilient wire in the form of a loop not lying wholly in one plane, a part of the loop abutting resiliently upon a flat surface of the stiff strip, and means on the stiff strip for securing thereto the ends of the wire loop, at least one of them detachably.

Yet another object of the invention is a suspension file for drawings of the kind indicated above wherein each filing attachment comprises a stifi fiat back plate, a socket formed on said plate, a resilient wire clamping means having a straight end inserted in the socket and a middle loop bent out of the plane of the ends of the wire, and engaging means on the back plate to secure the other end of the wire to hold the loop resiliently pressed against the plate. Because the loop does not lie in the plane of the ends, resilient pressure is exerted by it against the back plate when the ends are secured substantially in the plane of the back plate.

A still further object of the invention is a suspension file for drawings having filing attachments for drawings each equipped with separately releasable clamping means which are also detachable from the attachment, securing means for the clamping devices being distributed at intervals along the attachment; this adapts the invention to the filing of drawings of different sizes.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the drawings.

Figure 1 shows one form of filing attachment (partly broken away) with clamping means upon it.

Figure 2 shows a modified filing attachment with a modified construction of clamping means.

Both constructions of filing attachment include a stiff strip 1, 1a, extending the length of a drawing and formed with hooks 2 at its end to rest upon and ride along carrying bars 3 which may be taken as suitably supported in a cabinet not shown. The strip may be of sheet metal suitably stifiened by corrugations or other lengthwise extending deformations from its general plane.

In Figure 1 there are spaced at intervals along the strip 1 clamping means indicated generally by 4. They are made of springy steel wire, and are of such shape that when their two endsare secured upon the strip 1 their middle portion presses resiliently against the strip and forms with the strip a spring clamp to engage the edge of a drawing. These clamps are independently releasable one by one. Preferably they are releasable in the sense that they cease to exert clamping pressure even when no longer held by the user, yet remain attached to the strip 1. To this end the clamping means are hinged at one end upon the strip 1 and releasably latched at the other end. As illustrated one end of the springy wire serves as its hinge pin. Upright sockets are formed upon the strip 1 by attaching to its rear surface plates 7, domed for stiffness and grooved or corrugated to form a socket. These domed plates are attached to the rear face of the strip 1, leaving its front face mainly fiat as it must be if drawings are to lie flat upon it. The end 5 of the springy wire 4 must therefore be passed through an opening 6 in the strip 1 in order to be inserted vertically in the socket and form the hinge of the clamping means. Next to it is a short horizontal length of wire. The other end of the wire 9 is also horizontal, and may be looped at its tip to form a finger piece. This length 9 is detachably latched to the strip 1 by engagement in a hook 10 secured to the strip. Between the horizontal lengths of wire is a dependent loop 14. The more or less vertical limbs of this loop are arched and do not lie flat against the strip 1. Moreover the bottom of the loop, or a part of it, does not, when the loop is unstrained, lie in the planes of the ends 5 and 9; hence the wire must be resiliently deformed to latch its end 9 in the hook 10, and when this is done, the bottom of the loop presses resiliently against the strip 1. Preferably the rounded angles 8 of the loop are bent towards the strip 1 more than the rest so that the spring pressure is concentrated upon them.

On the left and right of Figure 1 clamping means 4 are shown in closed, or clamping, position. Between them is shown a clamping means 4 unlatched from its hook 10 and swung outward upon its hinge so that it ceases to exert any pressure on the strip 1.

The underside of the horizontal length of wire next the hinge 5 should be on a level with the underside of the hook 10; these two parts then serve as an abutment for the edge of a drawing inserted from below.

This construction of filing attachment is adapted to receive and hold a number of drawings, and yet permit of any one of them being removed leaving the rest undisturbed. To remove a drawing the user releases an end clamping means, say that at the left hand end; bends the corner of the drawing to be removed out of reach of the clamping means, keeping the rest in register; and relatches the clamping means; then unlatches the next clamping means, frees the wanted drawing from it and latches it again; and so until the whole of the upper edge of the wanted drawing is freed.

Figure 2 shows a modified form of clamping means in which the dependent loop is of V form rather than of U form. Its tip 12 is bent towards the strip 1 and the whole of the clamping pressure is concentrated upon that one point. In this construction the resilient wire 4a does not form an abutment for the edge of the drawing. Instead the strip 1 is profiled, that is to say has parts not lying in the plane of the flat face against which the edge of the drawing is applied. In Figure 2 the strip is bent backward at 13, and forward again near its lower edge to receive the pressure of the loops 12; the surface 13 forms an abutment for the edge of the drawing.

Figure 2 shows other profile features of the strip 1, for example lengthwise running corrugations 14 to stiffen it, and a lengthwise groove or corrugation 15 to receive the foot of a rider which can be set upon the 'top edge of the strip.

1 claim:

1. A suspension file for drawings comprising file-carrying bars, filingattachments for drawings each comprisihg a stiff-slotted strip having hooks engaging said filecarrying bars whereby said attachmentsmay be moved at right angles to their length along said bars, said stifl? strips having front surfaces which at least in part are flat, at least two resilient wire loops spaced apart along each stiff strip and pivotally associated with it, each wire loop having a substantially vertical end and a substantially horizontal part and a middle part between them bent out of the plane of the vertical end and horizontal part, vertical sockets spaced apart upon the rear face of each stifi strip adjacent a slot therein each receiving through the slot the vertical end of a wire loop, and hooks spaced apart upon the front face of each stiff strip each receiving the horizontal part of a wire loop, whereby said loops may be independently released and engaged and when engaged the middle part of the wire loop is caused to bear against the fiat surface of the stifi? strip.

2. A suspension file for drawings comprising file-carrying bars, filing attachments-for drawings each comprising a. stiff strip having hooks engaging said file-carrying bars whereby said attachments may be moved at right angles to their length along said bars, said stiff strips having front surfaces which present parallel flat portions the one below and set back relatively to the other, at least two resilient wire loops spaced apart along each stiff strip and pivotally associated with it, each wire loop having a substantially vertical end and a substantially horizontal part and a middle part between them bent out of the plane of the vertical end and horizontal part, vertical sockets spaced apart upon each stiflv strip each receiving the vertical end of a wire loop, and hooks spaced apart upon each stiff strip each receiving the horizontal part of a wire loop, whereby said loops may be independently released and engaged and when engaged the middle part of the wire loop is caused to bear against the lower and set-back flat surface of the stilf strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,084,839 Bolaender Jan. 20, 1914 1,835,381 Collantes Dec. 8, 1931 1,883,270 Young Oct. 18, 1932 2,256,678 Kern Sept. 23, 1941 2,484,453 Halverson Oct. 11, 1949 2,576,571 'Chauvin Nov. 27, 1951 2,623,526 Page a Dec. 30, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 487,954 Germany 1929 235,297 Switzerland Mar. 16, 1945 626,033 Great Britain ....2 July 7, 1949 

